Cell Biology and Proteostasis

The Division of Cell Biology and Proteostasis will seek to define how the cellular machinery of the human nervous system is organised, maintained and disrupted across neurodegenerative disease. Advances in cell engineering, high-resolution imaging and genome-wide screening now make it possible to model human cell types and tissues with unprecedented fidelity, opening new power for discovery.

The Division's mission over the next ten years is to identify the intracellular processes and nodes commonly perturbed across neurodegenerative conditions, and to translate that understanding into validated therapeutic targets and biomarkers. A cross-disease perspective is central to this, revealing shared mechanisms that single-disease studies would miss.

Our vision is to build a world-leading hub of cell biological capability and expertise, available to the whole UK DRI, with a clear focus on human relevance. Our approach will be integrative and collaborative, combining cellular models, animal systems and human tissue resources to move from the identification of pathological nodes to their therapeutic exploitation.